Form for building silo-blocks.



R. M. FERGUSON.

FORM FOR BUILDING SILO BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- I917- Patented July 23, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND M. FERGUSON, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TODAISY LAUG-I-IRAY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

FORM FOR BUILDING SILO-BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 191 8.

Application filed September 7, 1917. Serial No. 190,198.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND M. FERGU- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inForms for Building Silo-Blocks; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to a form or mold designed to be used in theproduction of blocks made from cementitious material. The form is ofespecial value for the production of blocks to be used in the buildingof silos, in which it is desirable that certain grooves be formed in theupper and lower sides and in the ends of the blocks as they arepositioned in a silo for the reception of reinforcing or tying memberswhich, in this manner, are practically covered by the blocks and themortar which is interposed therebetween serving as strengthening,reinforcing, and tying devices to hold the blocks against separation byreason of the pressure to which they are liable to be subjected in afilled silo. For the production of the blocks in a simple and yeteflicient manner, I have produced the form disclosed in the accompanyingdrawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the com plete form.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section therethrough, one of the blockswhich may be produced in the form being shown therein.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the block as it appears positioned in asilo construction, and

Flg. 4 is an end view thereof.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the various views ofthe drawings.

In the construction of the form any suit able base such as 1 isprovided, from the ends of which end members 2 and 3 for the formproject in an upward direction. The base may be of any desired length.Sides 4 to complete the form are hinged at 5 at their lower edges to theside edges of the base 1 whereby the same may be moved to verticalposition as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or turned about the hinges 5 to alower position. In practice a number of division members 6 will bedisposed between the sides 4, the dis tance between any two consecutivedivision members or between an end division member and either end 2 or3, being the height of the block desired; while the distance between thesides 4 is the length of the block, the thickness being the depth of theform, as will be evident. While I have shown in Fig. 1 a form for theproduction of three blocks, the invention is not limited to anyprescribed number, as by lengthening the base 1 and using a greaternumber of division plates 6, a larger number of blocks may be producedin the same form. In practice the sides 4 may be held in upper positionby any suitable detachable retaining means (not shown). Lengthwise ofthe sides at and on the inner side thereof, bars 7, having a curvedsurface, are fixed at a point slightly half-way below the upper edges ofthe sides 4. In addition bars 8 which may be of similar form are laidloosely at their ends upon the ends of the bars 7 and positioned againstthe inner sides of the ends 2 and 3 of the form, and also at each sideof each of the division plates 6, said bars lying substantially half waybelow the upper edges of the form.

In the manufacture of silo blocks it is desirable that they have curvedinner and outer faces. Accordingly, a plate 9, preferably of steel, ofcurved formation is located against the upper side of the base 1 of theform on which the cementitious material for the blocks is placed. Thematerial of any suitable cementitious composition is entered into theform, the spaces thereof between the ends, sides, and division membersbeing filled with material and the same tamped to make a more or lessdense structure. The sideof the block, shown at 10, adjacent the plate 9is of curved concave formation as indicated at 11 in Fig. 3; while theupper side of the block in the form may be shaped to substantiallyparallel the side 11 as indi cated at 12. The bars 8 form grooves 13 inthe sides of the block while bars 7 similarly form grooves 14 in itsends as shown.

After the material has been placed in the form. and the blocks fashionedon their upper sides, it is permitted to remain a certain length of timethat the material may partially harden and set so as to hold its shapewhen the sides 4 of the form are dropped. It Will be apparent that byreason of the curved formation of the bars or ribs 7 sides l may beturned about the axis of hinges 5, the bars 7 separatingfrom the blockwithout breaking off any portion of the cementit'ious material as wouldotherwise occur if said bars T were rectangular in cross section. forinstance. \Vhen the. sides l have been dropped, the blocks may heremoved from the form. the bars 8 zu-companying the blocks untilseparated from the form after which they may be readily removed and usedagain for the next, quantity of blocks made.

I have shown the form as particularly adapted for the construction ofsilo blocks that is, with the sides thereof curved coneentrieally andwith the bars 8 also concentric therewith;however-{the same form may be,used to make blocks with straight sides, the bars 8 and the groovesformed thereby being also straight and paralleling the-sides. Suchblocks are of use in building," walls or like structures which are notof curved for mation.

form of the character described permits the ready formation of theblocks with the various grooves desired therein. A plurality of theblocks 10 may be located end to end and above each other with the curvedsides 11 and 12 positioned vertically, in which case the grooves 13 inthe si'lceessive blocks of a course are in alinement and the upper andlower grooves in adjacent lower and upper blocks are in conjunction.pe.r mittiiu, the insertion of various metal ties and reinforcements insaid grooves between the blocks. Likewise various vertical ties andreinforcements may be positioned in the grooves 14 for tying thereinforcements in grooves 13 together or to the mortar which isinterposed between the blocks. The form while of rilativcly simpleconstruction is very effective for the burposes stated. The divisionplates 6 may be of any desired thick ness and in practice may be made ofthin metal as they are subjected practically to no forces except equalpressures on opposite sides thereof which neutralize each other.

1 claim:

1. A form for use in making blocks of eementitious material comprising abase and upstanding ends. sides hingedly attached to the side edges ofthe base, a bar having a. curved surface fixed in horizontal position tothe inner side of each of said hinged. sides, and bars looselypositioned against the inner sides of the ends of the form and rest ingat their ends on the bars attached to the sides of said form.substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A form for use in making blocks of cementitious material comprising abase. ends projecting upwardly from the ends of the base. sides hingedat their lower edges to the side edges of the base. a plurality ofdivision members located transversely of the base and detachablyinserted between said sides of theform. bars having curved outersurfaces positioned lengthwise of and tixed to the sides of the form onthe inner sides thereof betn'm'irthe divisiim members. and additionalbars located transversely of the form and lying loosely one against theinner side of each end of the form and against each side of saiddivision members, substantially as and for the purpose described. 7

3. A form for use in. making blocks of ccmentitious material comprisinga .baee, end members projecting upwardly at the ends of thebase, sidemembers liil'ic'ed at their lower ci'lgesjo the side edges of the base,a bar secured lengthwise of each side member 011 the inner side thereof.said bars baring rounded outer surfaces, a plate having a convex uppersurface resting on the base, and bars loosely positioned one adjacentthe inner side of each of said end mem hers, said last mentioned barsbeing formed to substantially parallel the eonrex formation of saidplate.

l. A form for use in making blocks of ce-mentitious material comprisinga base, side members hinged at their lower edges to and adapted toproject above the base or be dropped to positions below the base. endmembers projecting u 'lwardly at the ends of the base, a plurality ofdivision members paralleling the end members and detachal'ily interposedbetween the side members in spaced apart relation, thereby making aplurality of material receiving compartments, a plate having conteXupper surface located in the lower portion of and lengthwise of eachcompartment. the middle portion of said plates being at the highestlevel and thence curving downwardly to each end of said plates. a barhaving a rounded outer urface attached to the inner side of each of saidside members in each eoimiartment at a point slightly halfway below theupper edges of the side members, and additional bars curved tosubstantially parallel the upper surface of said plates loosely disposedalong each side of each division member and on the inner side of each ofthe end members at points substantially half-way below the upper edgesof said division and end members, said last mentioned bars resting; attheir ends on the ends of the first mentioned bars attached to the sidemembers of the form.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RAYMOND M. FERGUSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

